EP-4740189-A1 - ONBOARD VOICE-ACTIVATED VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Abstract

A vehicle diagnostic system (100) for a vehicle (102) includes an event data buffer (130) and an event data recorder (124) configured to, while the vehicle is operating, record, in the event data buffer, event data (126, 128) received from one or more components of the vehicle. The system also includes an input interface (110) configured to capture audio data (112) representing an utterance (106) spoken by an operator of the vehicle, and a network transceiver (120) configured to communicate via a network (170). The system further includes a vehicle electronic control unit (114) configured to determine, based on the audio data, that the operator triggered a diagnostic mode session and, based determining that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session, communicate diagnostic data to a remote service center server (180). The diagnostic data includes a pertinent portion of the event data and information representing the utterance.

Inventors

• VANGA, Krishna
• HAMZEHLOUIA, SINA

Assignees

• Karma Automotive, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240624

Claims (1)

1. WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An onboard voice-activated vehicle diagnostic system (100) for a vehicle (102), the system (100) comprising: an event data buffer (130); an event data recorder (124) configured to, while the vehicle (102) is operating, record, in the event data buffer (130), event data (126, 128) received from one or more components of the vehicle (102); an input interface (110) configured to capture audio data (112) representing an utterance (106) spoken by an operator of the vehicle (102) while operating the vehicle (102); a network transceiver (120) configured to communicate via a network (170); and a vehicle electronic control unit (1 14) configured to: determine, based on the audio data (112), that the operator triggered a diagnostic mode session; and based on determining that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session, communicate diagnostic data (136) to a remote service center server (180) via the network transceiver (120) and the network (170), the diagnostic data (136) comprising a pertinent portion of the event data (126, 128) and information representing the utterance (106). 2. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the pertinent portion of the event data (126, 128) comprises event data (126, 128) recorded prior to and after the diagnostic mode session is triggered. 3. The system (100) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the information representing the utterance (106) comprises a transcription (123) of the utterance (106) and/or the audio data (112). 4. The system (100) of claim 3, wherein determining, based on the audio data (112), that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session comprises determining that the audio data (112) comprises a hotword (107). 5. The system (100) of claim 4, wherein, after determining that the audio data (112) comprises the hotword (107), the vehicle electronic control unit (114) is configured to determine, by processing the audio data (112) with an automatic speech recognition system (122), the transcription (123) of the utterance (106). 6. The system (100) of any of claims 3-5, wherein the vehicle electronic control unit (114) is further configured to: process, using a natural language processing unit (132), the transcription (123) of the utterance (106) to determine a priority of the diagnostic mode session; and determine, based on the priority of the diagnostic mode session, when to communicate the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180). 7. The system (100) of claim 6, wherein the priority of the diagnostic mode session comprises: a first priority associated with immediately communicating, while the vehicle (102) is operating, the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180), or a second priority associated with communicating, when the operator is no longer operating the vehicle (102), the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180). 8. The system (100) of any of claims 1-7, wherein the input interface (110) is configured to capture the audio data (112) responsive to the operator speaking a hotword (107). 9. The system (100) of any of claims 1-8, wherein the input interface (110) is configured to capture the audio data (112) when the operator activates a user interface element of an infotainment system or a button of the vehicle (102). 10. The system (100) of any of claims 1-9, wherein: the event data buffer (130) comprises a circular storage buffer; and the vehicle electronic control unit (114) is configured to, in response to determining that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session, trigger (129) the event data recorder (124) to store the pertinent portion of the event data (126, 128) in a non-volatile datastore (134). 11 . The system ( 100) of any of claims 1-10, wherein the event data (126, 128) comprises at least one of communication data associated with one or more communication systems of the vehicle (102), memory data associated with one or more electronic control units (116) of the vehicle (102), or one or more diagnostic trouble codes. 12. The system (100) of any of claims 1-11, wherein communicating, via the network transceiver (120) and the network, the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180) comprises communicating the diagnostic data (136) to a cloud-based data storage server accessible by the remote service center server (180). 13. The system (100) of any of claims 1-12, wherein the vehicle electronic control unit (114) is configured to: receive, via the network transceiver (120) and the network (170), diagnostic result information (139) from the remote service center server (180); and display, on a display of the vehicle (102), the diagnostic result information (139). 14. A computer-implemented onboard voice-activated vehicle diagnostic method (200) for a vehicle (102), the method (200), when executed on data processing hardware (310), causes the data processing hardware (310) to perform operations comprising: recording event data (126, 128) received from one or more components of the vehicle (102) in an event data buffer (130) of the vehicle (102); capturing audio data (112) representing an utterance (106) spoken by an operator of the vehicle (102) while operating the vehicle (102); determining, based on the audio data (112), that the operator triggered a diagnostic mode session while operating the vehicle (102); and based on determining that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session, communicating diagnostic data (136) to a remote service center server (180) via a network transceiver (120) of the vehicle (102) and a network (170), the diagnostic data (136) comprising a pertinent portion of the event data (126, 128) and information representing the utterance (106). 15. The method (200) of claim 14, wherein the pertinent portion of the event data (126, 128) comprises event data (126, 128) recorded prior to and after the diagnostic mode session is triggered. 16. The method (200) of claim 14 or 15, wherein the information representing the utterance (106) comprises a transcription (123) of the utterance (106) and/or the audio data (112). 17. The method (200) of claim 16, wherein determining, based on the audio data (112), that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session comprises determining that the audio data (112) comprises a hotword (107). 18. The method (200) of claim 17, wherein, after determining that the audio data (112) comprises the hotword (107), determining, by processing the audio data (112) with an automatic speech recognition system (122), the transcription (123) of the utterance (106). 19. The method (200) of any of claims 16-18, wherein the operations further comprise: processing, using a natural language processing unit (132), the transcription (123) of the utterance (106) to determine a priority of the diagnostic mode session; and determining, based on the priority of the diagnostic mode session, when to communicate the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180). 20. The method (200) of claim 19, wherein the priority of the diagnostic mode session comprises: a first priority associated with immediately communicating, while the vehicle (102) is operating, the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180), or a second priority associated with communicating, when the operator is no longer operating the vehicle (102), the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180). 21. The method (200) of any of claims 14-20, wherein the operations further comprise capturing the audio data (112) in response to the operator speaking a hotword (107). 22. The method (200) of any of claims 14-21, wherein the operations further comprise capturing the audio data (112) when the operator activates a user interface element of an infotainment system or a button of the vehicle (102). 23. The method (200) of any of claims 14-22, wherein: the event data buffer (130) comprises a circular storage buffer; and the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session, storing the pertinent portion of the event data (126, 128) in a non-volatile datastore (134). 24. The method (200) of any of claims 14-23, wherein the event data (126, 128) comprises at least one of communication data associated with one or more communication systems of the vehicle (102), memory data associated with one or more electronic control units of the vehicle (102), or one or more diagnostic trouble codes. 25. The method (200) of any of claims 14-24, wherein communicating, via the network transceiver (120) and the network (170), the diagnostic data (136) to the remote service center server (180) comprises communicating the diagnostic data (136) to a cloud-based data storage server accessible by the remote service center server (180). 26. The method (200) of any of claims 14-25, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, via the network transceiver (120) and the network (170), diagnostic result information (139) from the remote service center server (180); and displaying, on a display of the vehicle (102), the diagnostic result information.

Description

Onboard Voice- Activated Vehicle Diagnostic Systems and Methods TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This disclosure relates to on-board voice-activated vehicle diagnostics systems and methods. BACKGROUND [0002] Event data recording systems are a common component of modem vehicles. SUMMARY [0003] One aspect of the disclosure provides an onboard voice-activated vehicle diagnostic system for a vehicle. The system includes an event data buffer, an event data recorder, an input interface, a network transceiver, and a vehicle electronic control unit. The event data recorder configured to, while the vehicle is operating, record, in the event data buffer, event data received from one or more components of the vehicle. The input interface configured to capture audio data representing an utterance spoken by an operator of the vehicle while operating the vehicle. The network transceiver configured to communicate via a network. The vehicle electronic control unit configured to determine, based on the audio data, that the operator triggered a diagnostic mode session and, in response to determining that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session, communicate diagnostic data to a remote service center server via the network transceiver and the network, the diagnostic data includes a pertinent portion of the event data and information representing the utterance. [0004] Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the pertinent portion of the event data includes event data recorded prior to and after the diagnostic mode session is triggered. In some examples, the information representing the utterance includes a transcription of the utterance and/or the audio data. In some examples, determining, based on the audio data, that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session includes determining that the audio data includes a hotword. In these examples, after determining that the audio data includes the hotword, the vehicle electronic control unit may be configured to determine, by processing the audio data with an automatic speech recognition system, the transcription of the utterance. In some examples, the vehicle electronic control unit is configured to process, using a natural language processing unit, the transcription of the utterance to determine a priority of the diagnostic mode session, and determine, based on the priority of the diagnostic mode session, when to communicate the diagnostic data to the remote service center server. Here, the priority of the diagnostic mode session may be a first priority associated with immediately communicating, while the vehicle is operating, the diagnostic data to the remote service center server, or a second priority associated with communicating, when the operator is no longer operating the vehicle, the diagnostic data to the remote service center server. [0005] In some examples, the input interface is configured to capture the audio data responsive to the operator speaking a hotword. In other examples, the input interface is configured to capture the audio data when the operator activates a user interface element of an infotainment system or a button of the vehicle. In some implementations, the event data buffer includes a circular storage buffer, and the vehicle electronic control unit is configured to, in response to determining that the operator triggered the diagnostic mode session, trigger the event data recorder to store the pertinent portion of the event data in a non-volatile datastore. [0006] In some implementations, the event data includes at least one of communication data associated with one or more communication systems of the vehicle, memory data associated with one or more electronic control units of the vehicle, or one or more diagnostic trouble codes. In some examples, communicating, via the network transceiver and the network, the diagnostic data to the remote service center server includes communicating the diagnostic data to a cloud-based data storage server accessible by the remote service center server. In some implementations, the vehicle electronic control unit is configured to receive, via the network transceiver and the network, diagnostic result information from the remote service center server, and display, on a display of the vehicle, the diagnostic result information. [0007] Another aspect of the disclosure provides a computer-implemented method for performing an onboard voice-activated vehicle diagnostic for a vehicle. The computer-implemented method when executed on data processing hardware causes the data processing hardware to perform operations including recording event data received from one or more components of the vehicle in an event data buffer of the vehicle, and capturing audio data representing an utterance spoken by an operator of the vehicle while operating the vehicle. The operations also include determining, based on the audio data, that the operator triggered